


Not Even Captain America is Fearless

by Moonykins



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Gen, M/M, Superfamily
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-03
Updated: 2013-08-03
Packaged: 2017-12-22 06:31:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,232
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/910020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonykins/pseuds/Moonykins
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Papa, can I sleep with you?"</p>
<p>Peter has a nightmare and tiptoes into Steve's room, seeking comfort in his papa's arms.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Even Captain America is Fearless

**Author's Note:**

> This piece is dedicated to my "son" who drew this beautiful comic: <http://crazyk-c.tumblr.com/post/56790475104/heres-the-doodle-comic-i-was-telling-you-guys>

The night was quiet and silent, dark and relaxing. Steve had just drifted off to sleep after a few hours of tossing and turning in his cold, empty bed. Tony’s presence always made it much easier for him to drift off into unconsciousness but tonight Tony was far away from home on a business trip for Stark Industries. Steve didn’t want to sound like a sap but he had admitted to himself that he was pretty lonely when Tony was away on trips like this. Of course he’d never be completely alone—he still had the rest of the Avengers and Peter to look after. Peter was never happy when Tony was away and would constantly ask questions as to where he was or when he would be returning. Steve did his best to answer his son’s questions but even he didn’t have all of the answers (especially since Tony’s schedule seemed to change as much as his mind did—there was never a set date to when Tony would be returning home). For three days Steve had been taking care of Peter without Tony’s help and although it wasn’t difficult he still would have preferred to have Tony at his side for backup—especially when Peter suffered from nightmares.

A soft creaking sound rose Steve from his sleep and he slowly cracked open an eye focusing on the (now open) bedroom door. “Papa?” 

Steve scrubbed the back of his hand over his eyes and sat up in bed. The boy was clutching his Captain America and Iron Man plush toys to his chest, blue eyes wide and glossy with fresh tears. “What’s wrong, bud? Did you have another nightmare?”

“Can I sleep with you?” Peter asked, voice quiet. Steve noticed that it had quivered slightly. This was another bad one then. Before he even had the chance to answer Peter was climbing onto the bed, doing a marvelous job of hoisting both himself and his plush toys up. Steve smiled sleepily and lifted the covers so that Peter could duck underneath them, his small body curling into Steve’s larger one. With a little sigh, Peter looked up at his father, eyes still full of uncertainty.

“The dark was scaring me, and since daddy’s gone I can’t use his ‘light’.” The arc reactor had been like a nightlight ever since Peter was born. Steve could remember endless nights where Peter wouldn’t be able to sleep, the infant curled up on Tony’s chest, chubby hands pressed against the metal device implanted above his father’s heart. The soft whirring sound and the heat would eventually lull a baby Peter to sleep. 

Peter paused for a beat and Steve watched his son, waiting for him to continue. “I’m sorry.”

That caught Steve off guard. Sorry? What did Peter have to be sorry about? He hadn’t done anything wrong. “Why are you apologizing?”

Peter sniffled, squirming so that he turned onto his side. The plush toys were blocking his mouth, muffling his voice when he spoke. “Because I’m almost seven and I still get scared!” His eyebrows drew together and he looked about ready to cry. “But you and daddy aren’t scared of anything…”

An easy smile made its way to Steve’s lips. “That’s not true.”

A look of confusion crossed Peter’s face and he wrinkled his rounded nose. “Huh?”

“I get scared as well sometimes,” Steve began, reaching out to cup the side of Peter’s face in his hand. He ran his thumb over his son’s rounded cheek, stroking in a slow and steady rhythm. “Like when I thought you had been kidnapped.” That was a scary day, Steve recalled. He and Tony had taken Peter shopping in a large department store and while their backs were turned Peter had managed to sneak off. Steve was almost positive that someone had taken him (why wouldn’t some sick person want to kidnap such an adorable and vulnerable little boy?) but Tony managed to keep his cool. They informed security and a search team was put together. Every minute that passed made Steve’s heart feel like it was beating stronger and stronger in an attempt to break out of his chest. What if Peter was hurt? Was he scared? What if he was curled up in a ball crying for his parents? What if someone was holding him for ransom? The world knew that Tony Stark and Steve Rogers had a son together. The paparazzi had taken many pictures of them on different occasions when they were out as a family trying to enjoy an afternoon. It was a half hour before Steve got a phone call from Tony saying that he had found Peter hiding in a rack of clothes in the woman’s department (“I asked if we could play hide’n’seek and then I said I was gonna hide!”). Steve had all but sprinted to his family and enveloped both Peter and Tony in a crushing hug, promising them all that Peter would never get separated from them ever again.

“Or when you and your father were really sick…” That was another bad memory that Steve would never forget. It was the heart of flu season and Tony had managed to contract the virus and pass it on to Peter. Steve had put them both in bed together and taken care of them for days on end, cleaning up vomit, wetting rags to dab on fevered foreheads, and refilling bottles of water to keep them hydrated. He had barely slept while the virus ran its course and he was relieved when Tony and Peter fully recovered (miraculously on the same day). Tony then ordered Steve to take the rest of the day and rest, stating that he looked like hell.

“Really?” Peter asked, unable to believe that someone as brave as his papa could get scared of such small things. He knew he hadn’t been in any danger that time he had hidden in the store, or the time he had gotten sick. Things always got better. “But what about daddy? Does he get scared too?”

Steve almost laughed at that. “Mmhmm. He does. He just doesn’t like to show it.” If it were up to Tony he would hide behind the Iron Man face plate and never let anyone know when he was frightened or in pain. People would only see what Tony wanted them to, but Steve knew better. “Remember, it’s okay to be afraid. And being afraid doesn’t make you weak.”

That brought a smile to Peter’s face which in turn made Steve smile back. Steve pressed a kiss to Peter’s forehead, settling down amongst the pillows with him. 

“Love you, papa.” Peter whispered, voice heavy with exhaustion.

“Love you too, bud.”

Peter gave a yawn, the plush pillows of the bed nearly swallowing him up as he closed his eyes. Several seconds later he was asleep, mouth open and an expression of utter bliss on his face. Steve couldn’t help thinking of how much Peter looked like Tony when he slept. The puddles of drool both of them left on their pillows in the morning were almost identical.

Steve watched Peter for a few minutes more before his eyes started to grow heavy. It had been a long day, but maybe tomorrow Tony would be home. With that thought, Steve finally drifted off to sleep, his son beside him, protected and warm.


End file.
